Restoring Indoor Health, One House at a Time

The Opportunity Council first does no harm, and then tackles IAQ problems.

Last winter, a couple with four small children called the Opportunity Council (OC), a tri-county, private nonprofit Community Action Agency in Bellingham,Washington, hoping to get some help with their high heating bills. They came in for an appointment with an OC staff member and went through the normal steps to determine their income eligibility and their potential level of energy weatherization assistance.The intake staff member also explained the benefits of the Weatherization Assistance program (WAP) as an effective, long-term solution to lower a household’s utility bills.The staff member then asked if the couple would be interested in participating. Yes, they were definitely interested. Because the OC has implemented a new program, called Weatherization Plus Health, the staff member asked the family some additional questions:How old was the house? Did anyone in the house have asthma or other respiratory problems? It turned out that the house was built in 1959, and two of the children and the father had been diagnosed with asthma. Later that month, those answers became important to the weatherization project coordinator as he prepared to assess the home for cost-effective ...